Declaration of Independence

Teaching "All Men are Created Equal" (Part II)

by Jeff Schneider

In the second part of this essay, a longtime teacher of American history maintains that a close reading of the Declaration of Independence makes it possible to discuss revolution and racism in a thoughtful way without intimidating either white students or students of color.

Teaching "All Men are Created Equal" (Part I)

by Jeff Schneider

A longtime teacher of American history maintains that a close reading of the Declaration of Independence makes it possible to discuss revolution and racism in a thoughtful way without intimidating either white students or students of color.

Why Thomas Jefferson's Anti-Slavery Passage Was Removed from the Declaration of Independence

To call slavery a “cruel war against human nature itself” may have accurately reflected the values of many of the founders, but it also underscored the paradox between what they said and what they did.

What a Line Deleted from the Declaration of Independence Teaches Us About Thomas Jefferson

by M. Andrew Holowchak

Congress deleted the line to avoid tackling issue of slavery. 

Are we telling the right story of America?

Two historians explore the myths and truths that sustain a nation-state. THIS AMERICA: The Case for the Nation By Jill Lepore. Liveright. 150 pp. $16.95; THE HEARTLAND: An American History By Kristin L. Hoganson. Penguin. 399 pp. $30

Would Slavery Have Ended Sooner if the British Won the American Revolutionary War?

by Keith Brooks

After its victory, the U.S. went on to become an empire unparalleled in history, its wealth origins rooted largely in slave labor. 

America, One and Inseparable

by Vaughn Davis Bornet

A reflection this 4th of July on the challenges the United States face and how history can guide us. 

How the Declaration of Independence became a beacon to the world

by Charles Edel

The Declaration’s international reach.

Declaration of Independence Flagged as Hate Speech by Facebook

Facebook was forced to apologize to a local publisher in Texas this week for removing a post containing text from the Declaration of Independence after classifying it as “hate speech.”

Did Jefferson Really Write the Declaration of Independence?

by M. Andrew Holowchak

The public widely gives Jefferson credit. Scholars, in dissent, have often said multiple hands were involved. Who’s right?

A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence survived the Civil War hidden behind wallpaper. Later it was tossed in a box.

Only recently did it resurface.

Historian: The Declaration of Independence was a plea for help

Larrie Ferreiro argues in a recent book that the Declaration should be considered a "Declaration That We Depend on France (and Spain, Too)."

Second parchment manuscript copy of Declaration of Independence found — in England

The only other parchment copy is maintained by the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

America’s Declaration of Independence was pro-immigrant

by Steven Pincus

The Declaration of Independence outlined the new republic’s fundamental economic principles, ones that Americans would be wise to remember, because they are now under threat.

The Real Reason for the Declaration of Independence

by Larrie D. Ferreiro

It was expressly designed to signal to France and Spain that the Americans no longer considered themselves British subjects.

Did a Fear of Slave Revolts Drive American Independence?

by Robert G. Parkinson

To the founders, separation from Britain was about racial fear and exclusion as much as it was about inalienable rights.

Sorry, but the “Pursuit of Happiness” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

by Karen Robbins

Jefferson wasn’t giving us license to do whatever we wish. He wanted us to have the right to pursue virtue.

Have We Really Been Reading the Declaration of Independence Wrong?

by Matthew Dennis

“a scholar is now saying that the official transcript of the document . . . contains a significant error.”